DIVINE EXPERIENCES - SRI. M.W. PRADHAN - 1

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Divine experiences – Sri M.W. Pradhan (1)

Sri. M. W. Pradhan, High Court Pleader & J. P., aged 56, residing at Sai Baugh,

Santa Cruz, says:

I thought I would return by next day. But when leave was, Baba declined it in

his characteristic fashion by saying, "Go tomorrow". He did so on succeeding

days and kept me there for eight days. I was arranging for a special dinner or

Biksha to baba the next day and requested Him to inform me who were to be

invited and what themenu was to be. Of course, puranpoli was to be the crown of

the dinner and for quests, he said, He said I was to invite Bapu (the nephew of

Dada Khelkar), who was Baba’s favourite and Baba. He said "I also will come"

(mihiye innu) before I invited him. The next day the dinner was preparedas

directed and plates were served. Babu was invited and and sat at one plate.

Another was served and set apart for Baba. A crow came and lifted a puranpoli

off the plate and carried it away. All hailed it with delight as evidence that

Baba was going in the form to take away his own.

The afternoon, Baba touched his limbs on one side and said, "On this side of my

body, there is excruciating pain". But he added "It will be alright in 2 or 4

days." Baba really appeared healthy, inspite of those words and what he meant

to convey by his words escaped our powers of understanding at that time.

On a Thursday, during that period Baba was preparing food in ‘Handi" (i.e., pot)

to feed large numbers. He drove away every one from the masjid and was alone

with his handi. At that time, to the great surprise and alarm of the

spectators, myself and the two sons of Chandorkar went in. Baba far from being

angry, received us very well, as though he had intended the expulsion of others

for the very purpose of granting us a wholly private interview. Then after a

little while Baba appeared to be singing out something. At least I thought it

to be so. But I found that when he repeated the words for the third time, they

were. At on "kayare apala kayahmanave Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram. At once,

on hearing these words i was overcome with emotion and I placed my head on

Baba’s feet and tears flowed freely. These words were the guru mantra that I

had received from my family guru Haribua (whose grandfather Atmaram Bua who has

a temple built for his worship Thakurdwar Mumbai,

was the guru of my great grandfather). And Baba was so kindly reviving my

interest in and regard for that guru mantra in this fashion for my benefit.

Baba was attending to my spiritual benefit without any question from me and his

loving interest in me was too deep for me to return and too great to acknowledge

except through tears of gratitude and joy. At the ‘handi’, I noticed with wonder

that when the contents of the cauldron were boiling, baba used his own bare palm

and not a spoon nor a ladle to stir the contents thoroughly to secure even and

uniform consistency in the food or sira. His hand was not scalded or swollen by

such use. Thence suddenly at noon, he took us three to the Lendi, a very unusual

hour for Him to visit the Lendi; and there he dug into the earth small hollows,

gave me some corn and made me sow that corn in those hollows. Then after

turning up some earth to cover the seeds, he made me water the patches sown;

and then we returned to the mosque. It is that lendi

garden which 7 or 8 years later (i.e., immediately after he passed away) I have purchased.

After detaining us for a week, baba gave us permission to go away. At that time

Baba Chandorkar placed a plate under Baba’s feet and pouring water on them

collected the water to be used at home. That was departure in the traditions of

Shirdi. Till then only udhi was allowed to be taken away, and Pada Tirtha was

immediately used up at the Arathi or at any rate at Shirdi. I took my cue from

Babu and took Baba’s pada Tirtha home for the use of my mother and others. On

our way, at Manmad we had only 3rd class tickets; and under the Railway rules

then obtaining, we could only board a later train but not Punjab Mail. But by a

happy thought we rushed in and contrary to the rules, got into that mail and

reached home 4 or 5 hours earlier than if we had conformed to the rules. These

4 or 5 hours I discovered were specially valuable and it was obviously Baba’s

grace that enabled us to be so early. As soon as I reached home, i learnt that

my mother had an attack of

paralysis. She was having the attack of hemiplegia in our house at Mumbai, when

Baba was saying "My side is giving me excruciating pain". Doctors had been

brought in. My sister and other relations were discussion if I should be

informed at Shirdi about that event. Mr. Chandorkar who was then present,

remarked, it seems, that it was needless and that everything would be safe for

my mother as long as I stayed with Baba and that Baba ould Himself send me

back, if and when there was need. On the night when we were starting from

Shirdi the attendant doctor noting the high temperature, the constricted state

of the bowels and her restlessness declared that her condition was critical and

that if however the bowels should move in the course of the night the situation

would be more hopeful. It was that very night about 4.30 or 5 a.m. I reached my

mother’s place. At once I gave her Baba’s udhi and tirtha. She then go somnolent

and sometime later, her bowels moved and consequently her

temperature fell. The doctor came and found that there was improvement and that

things had taken a favourable turn. Quite obviously our timely dismissal from

Shirdi, with Baba’s tirtha and udhi, our timely catching the Punjab Mail and

arrival on the critical night were all seen or foreseen and willed by Baba and

the favourable turn was what he intended and foretold when he said to me at

Shirdi "in 2 or 4 days it will be alright." Truly, Sai moves in mysterious way.

His wonders to perform.

My mother recovered full health soon and lived four years thereafter. Two years

before her death, she went to Shirdi and had Baba’s darsan and blessing.

(Written by HH Pujyasri B.V. Narasimha Swamiji on 18th October 1936 in Devotees Experiences Vol.3)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Blessed is the person who makes truth his ideal, Beauty his aim, Wisdom his

purpose, Service his religion and Love his fulfilment.

 

 

 

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